Best (and worst) beers you've ever had

[Barnacle 9,064]

7 minutes ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

I live in the very outer suburb of Memphis. I can throw a baseball to the Mississippi state line. It's quiet around here, but it's strip malls and neighborhoods for days. 

All the cool stuff geared for people my age(early 30s) is in Midtown, so a brewery two suburbs over is a huge deal for me. 

I didn't know that. For some reason I thought you lived in Colorado. I'm pretty familiar with that area. Went to school with a handful of guys from Collierville. 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

22 hours ago, Barnacle said:

I thought about this this morning, and I'm curious what those of you who enjoy IPAs will have to say. 

What are your top 5 "go-to" IPAs (that means those that you can generally find around the beer store you frequent, or those like it. So, no seasonals, limited releases or obscure breweries). 

Off the top of my head, mine are - in no particular order: SweetWater IPA; Cigar City - Jai Alai; Bell's Two-Hearted Ale; Westbrook IPA; Sculpin IPA. 

If I haven't thanked you for opening this topic, Thank You.

The frequency with which your responders included the Bell's Two-Hearted prompted me to look (1st time I had) and it's here, grocery-store shelves.

First bottle in progress as I type. Starts out right competent, and there's a back-of-the-nose hop component that blossoms a bit with warming. Not sure where it'll settle out in the hierarchy, but definitely worth opening the second bottle.

[Barnacle 9,064]

Just now, AUld fAUx@ said:

If I haven't thanked you for opening this topic, Thank You.

The frequency with which your responders included the Bell's Two-Hearted prompted me to look (1st time I had) and it's here, grocery-store shelves.

First bottle in progress as I type. Starts out right competent, and there's a back-of-the-nose hop component that blossoms a bit with warming. Not sure where it'll settle out in the hierarchy, but definitely worth opening the second bottle.

Hell of a way to start your day! 

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 minutes ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

If I haven't thanked you for opening this topic, Thank You.

The frequency with which your responders included the Bell's Two-Hearted prompted me to look (1st time I had) and it's here, grocery-store shelves.

First bottle in progress as I type. Starts out right competent, and there's a back-of-the-nose hop component that blossoms a bit with warming. Not sure where it'll settle out in the hierarchy, but definitely worth opening the second bottle.

 

7 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Hell of a way to start your day! 

Evidently it's a coastal thing. I say this with admiration, not judgment. 

That's the thing about Bell's 2H for me. At first, there isn't really anything remarkable about the beer, really. And then at some point in almost every glass, I realize that it's unremarkable because it's perfectly balanced and textured. Like, there's not one single way in which I could make it better. It's almost like a Jason Isbell song. Deceptively easy going and palatable at first, increasingly nuanced and complex with every listen/tasting. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

55 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

I didn't know that. For some reason I thought you lived in Colorado. I'm pretty familiar with that area. Went to school with a handful of guys from Collierville. 

I moved from Fort Collins, CO to Collierville about a year ago. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

53 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Hell of a way to start your day! 

More preferable than mine. We just tasted 4 wines, and now about to taste our store single barrels of Eagle Rare and Buff Trace. 

And don't get me wrong I like wine and love bourbon...but give me a solid IPA over those any day of the week. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

Just now, ShocksMyBrain said:

More preferable than mine. We just tasted 4 wines, and now about to taste our store single barrels of Eagle Rare and Buff Trace. 

And don't get me wrong I like wine and love bourbon...but give me a solid IPA over those any day of the week. 

Single barrel Buffalo Trace? I'd love to know how that one goes. Big fan of Buffalo Trace, not as much of Eagle Rare.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

43 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Single barrel Buffalo Trace? I'd love to know how that one goes. Big fan of Buffalo Trace, not as much of Eagle Rare.

It was excellent. Our store is on our 50th single barrel. We just got samples for 51 yesterday. 

Nowhere near as good as our single barrel of Blanton's though. That was incredible. I still have one pint left that I don't want to open. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

It was excellent. Our store is on our 50th single barrel. We just got samples for 51 yesterday. 

Nowhere near as good as our single barrel of Blanton's though. That was incredible. I still have one pint left that I don't want to open. 

Blanton's might be my single favorite year round, non-special release bourbon. If you get fancy beyond that... can only imagine.

Agree with @Barnacle about Eagle Rare. There's probably a variant out there that I'd love, but I haven't found it yet. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

16 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Blanton's might be my single favorite year round, non-special release bourbon. If you get fancy beyond that... can only imagine.

Agree with @Barnacle about Eagle Rare. There's probably a variant out there that I'd love, but I haven't found it yet. 

This barrel of ER isn't special. It's smooth, but I liked the single barrel of BT better. Our 2nd barrel of ER we got last Fall was amazing. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

3 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

This barrel of ER isn't special. It's smooth, but I liked the single barrel of BT better. Our 2nd barrel of ER we got last Fall was amazing. 

Also a big fan of Blanton's. One thing that's interesting to me about Blanton's, is that they don't disclose how many years they aged it. Blanton's is as good of bourbon as you will find, in my opinion. 

The best bourbons that I've ever tasted were probably a trio of limited release barrel proof bottles we got at Cotton Row one time: George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller and Colonel E.H. Taylor. They require a splash of water to take the edge off, but I would recommend tasting any barrel proof bourbon neat first, then add water or ice as you please. Especially neat, once you get past the initial burn, the flavor is almost overwhelming. 

Other best bourbon is probably Elijah Craig 18 year. 

My go to purchases are always Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig Small Batch (12 yr) and Four Roses Single Barrel. Blantons comes next if I want to spend a little extra. I still haven't tried Four Roses Barrel Strength, but its next on my list. 

The Bourbon I've been looking for since I started drinking Bourbon 6 years ago is a bottle of Black Maple Hill 16 year, which if I'm correct isn't even produced anymore. I know they still make Black Maple Hill, but they don't sell age labeled bourbon bottles anymore, and I'm fairly certain they no longer source it from Kentucky, but from Oregon instead. Go figure. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

Y'all sure do know how to make a guy thirsty at work.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

I've heard so much about this porter over the years. I finally decided to pick up a 6er in Louisville. Nose reveals chocolate and cocoa. Possibly some coffee. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, but for a 6% porter, I wasn't expecting a whole lot of chewiness. Taste falls in line with the nose, definitely robust, roasty, and slight bitterness which evens out as it approached room temp. BA calls it "world class" at 95 from the Bros as well as the user ratings. 

I think, normally, that the line between a stout and porter has become so blurred that there's no difference between the two. However, I think this is a great example of the porter style. It hits all the appropriate marks and separates itself from that curious line of what a stout or porter should be.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

9 hours ago, Barnacle said:

Also a big fan of Blanton's. One thing that's interesting to me about Blanton's, is that they don't disclose how many years they aged it. Blanton's is as good of bourbon as you will find, in my opinion. 

The best bourbons that I've ever tasted were probably a trio of limited release barrel proof bottles we got at Cotton Row one time: George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller and Colonel E.H. Taylor. They require a splash of water to take the edge off, but I would recommend tasting any barrel proof bourbon neat first, then add water or ice as you please. Especially neat, once you get past the initial burn, the flavor is almost overwhelming. 

Other best bourbon is probably Elijah Craig 18 year. 

My go to purchases are always Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig Small Batch (12 yr) and Four Roses Single Barrel. Blantons comes next if I want to spend a little extra. I still haven't tried Four Roses Barrel Strength, but its next on my list. 

The Bourbon I've been looking for since I started drinking Bourbon 6 years ago is a bottle of Black Maple Hill 16 year, which if I'm correct isn't even produced anymore. I know they still make Black Maple Hill, but they don't sell age labeled bourbon bottles anymore, and I'm fairly certain they no longer source it from Kentucky, but from Oregon instead. Go figure. 

I've been privileged to try myriad "rare" bourbons in my life. I've had every incantation of Pappy...which I believe is overrated. I think Blanton's is better than any Pappy I've had. 

Elmer T Lee is outrageous for the price. The price is great(sub $50). William Larue Weller 17 Year might be the best bourbon I've ever had. Barrel strength at 130 proof or so, but smooth as all get out. I think Weller 12yr is a waste of money. Weller 107 Antique is better, and the price on it is ridiculous($30-40).

We are a bourbon store, so we get in some really nice gems on a regular basis. We got in Orphan Barrel Barterhouse 20yr and Forged Oak 15yr last week, 3 bottles of each and sold out in about an hour without any sort of announcement. We used to be the number one seller of Buff Trace in the state, so we get a lot of perks when it comes to the allocated products in the Fall.

The only real problem about being such a big bourbon store is that I can't afford half of what we bring in--haha.

 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

Sidenote: Booker's bourbon price has been skyrocketing lately. The reason is because it was a super hot year for the barrel houses, so the barrels didn't yield as much bourbon(a lot of evaporation). Whether that's true or not is beyond me, however the skeptic in me leads me to believe that they're creating false demand and it may be coming back to bite them; because after the initial announcement we couldn't keep it on the shelf. Now, it's double faced and all the bourbon enthusiasts have moved on to the next special brown water. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

5 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Sidenote: Booker's bourbon price has been skyrocketing lately. The reason is because it was a super hot year for the barrel houses, so the barrels didn't yield as much bourbon(a lot of evaporation). Whether that's true or not is beyond me, however the skeptic in me leads me to believe that they're creating false demand and it may be coming back to bite them; because after the initial announcement we couldn't keep it on the shelf. Now, it's double faced and all the bourbon enthusiasts have moved on to the next special brown water. 

That's interesting. I like Bookers, but it wouldn't be my first choice if I were looking at a high proof bourbon. 

To the extent that I've tried Pappy, I agree with you. I've drank an entire bottle of the Van Winkle 12 year and I've also tried the 10, both of which are technically not "Pappy". I thought the 10 year was garbage and enjoyed the 12.  But, relative to the price, I'd still prefer a number of other bourbons. I've never tried the 15 year+ bottles, but I'll take your word for it. Garden and Gun wrote them up in 2012 as the best bourbon in the world, and it's been of mythical proportion ever since. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

Funny story on that Van Winkle 12 year though. My mom bought it at a grocery store at the lake of the Ozarks around 2010. A grocery store Haha. I don't know what she paid for it, but I don't think it was much. 

It's a solid $40.00-50.00 bottle, if you ask me, but I doubt you could touch it at that price today. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 hours ago, Barnacle said:

That's interesting. I like Bookers, but it wouldn't be my first choice if I were looking at a high proof bourbon. 

To the extent that I've tried Pappy, I agree with you. I've drank an entire bottle of the Van Winkle 12 year and I've also tried the 10, both of which are technically not "Pappy". I thought the 10 year was garbage and enjoyed the 12.  But, relative to the price, I'd still prefer a number of other bourbons. I've never tried the 15 year+ bottles, but I'll take your word for it. Garden and Gun wrote them up in 2012 as the best bourbon in the world, and it's been of mythical proportion ever since. 

I had the Family Reserve 20. Dude brought it to a party and poured it in Solo cups. We both sipped it and he looks at me and says, "Eh. It's fine. It's a little hot." He was right. Not the smoothest bourbon ever, especially for a wheated one. I enjoyed the Weller 12 more. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

9 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I had the Family Reserve 20. Dude brought it to a party and poured it in Solo cups. We both sipped it and he looks at me and says, "Eh. It's fine. It's a little hot." He was right. Not the smoothest bourbon ever, especially for a wheated one. I enjoyed the Weller 12 more. 

I'm seeing this dude from your story in my mind and, and all i can think is 

"this guy f****" 

Apparently, I've been attending the wrong parties. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Just now, Barnacle said:

I'm seeing this dude from your story in my mind and, and all i can think is 

"this guy f****" 

Apparently, I've been attending the wrong parties. 

Hahaha. I think he might've looked like that guy at one time while living in NYC. Then he decided to open a brewery and, well, I don't think he has to wear shirts with buttons on them much anymore.

Super, super interesting guy. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

8 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Hahaha. I think he might've looked like that guy at one time while living in NYC. Then he decided to open a brewery and, well, I don't think he has to wear shirts with buttons on them much anymore.

Super, super interesting guy. 

haha I take it that you aren't a fan of Silicon Valley. Let me initiate you: 

(NSFW language)

So, when I said "this guy" I didn't mean "that guy." Russ Hanneman would never drink Pappy Van Winkle out of a solo cup. 

In other words, I'm sorry for insinuating that your friend is a douche bag. Quite the opposite. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

Very, very good beer. Impressive hop bite on the backend, but not too bitey. Great malt backbone without being overly sweet. Picking up a myriad of flavors..pine, floral, tropical(?). 

And at just over 9%, just a slight boozy hint.

Again, home run @ShocksMyBrain

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

30 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

Very, very good beer. Impressive hop bite on the backend, but not too bitey. Great malt backbone without being overly sweet. Picking up a myriad of flavors..pine, floral, tropical(?). 

And at just over 9%, just a slight boozy hint.

Again, home run @ShocksMyBrain

I love Resin. Never had a Sixpoint brew I didn't enjoy. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Their Bengali Tiger is a really neat take on an English IPA, too.

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

DDH Opus Vert by Parish. This beer is fantastic. It is riding the edge of juice and dank, minus the big IBU's. Just a hiiint of bite...but still get that dankness on the nose.